Bari-Complete ALL IN ONE DAILY SUPPLEMENT

Bari-Complete helps you make the lifestyle commitment to continue to enjoy the new person you have become.

Sadly, patients risk nutritional deficiencies, bone or muscle loss or even paralysis or night blindness simply because they neglected to take the right supplements.

The Complete all-in-one solution! Easy to swallow, great tasting!

Is taking so many different vitamin and mineral supplements everyday wearing you down? Then Bari-Complete is just the product you need. Bari-Complete offers an all-in-one powder solution requiring no extra vitamin and mineral supplements to be taken. Bari-Complete can simplify your life today.

Based on current knowledge, numerous international guidelines have been developed for the vitamin and mineral requirements of bariatric patients after surgery. Bari-Complete’s composition is based on these guidelines with the extra vitamins and minerals needed by patients after weight-loss surgery. The most important of these are vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and iron.

The citrate form of calcium has been included in Bari-Complete to ensure optimum absorption in the intestine.

Bari-Complete is a soluble powder so that the vitamins and minerals are immediately available in their most soluble and easily absorbed form. This is important, because the stomach is smaller (gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy) and the small intestine is shorter (gastric bypass), which requires absorption to take place as soon as possible.

This is a safe choice for anyone who has undergone weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy)

Great Tasting Flavours

Available in Orange and Strawberry

What you need to know

Following weight-loss surgery, you will need to follow a strict diet / nutrition guideline that will be given to you by your surgeon and / or dietician. It is very important that you follow this very carefully.

This plan will consist of a liquid diet initially, and will slowly introduce small amounts of soft food. You will have a daily fluid intake target as well and it is very important that you comply with this to make sure you stay hydrated, as this will help avoid constipation and kidney stones during the healing stage. Dehydration is the greatest cause for re-hospitalisation after weight-loss surgeries.

Once you are eating regular meals again, it is still important to make healthy lifestyle choices to ensure the best quality of life. A diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, especially low in simple carbohydrates, is ideal. Avoid sugar and processed foods as much as possible. Once you are eating whole foods again, stick to lean protein, fruits, and vegetables to keep your fibre and vitamin intake sufficient.

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements are also no longer simply a lifestyle choice, they are critical for your continued health, and bariatric surgeons and dieticians all agree, daily supplements are essential to prevent malnutrition following bariatric surgery. Your dietician will recommend the dosages that are right for you, but it is extremely important to check your vitamin and mineral levels regularly after surgery so that any deficiencies can be identified early and addressed.

These supplements will typically include a good quality multivitamin, calcium citrate, vitamin D, iron and vitamin B12.

The Complete Guide to Bariatric Supplements

We all know that vitamins and minerals are essential for our health and that we need to maintain a good daily diet to ensure we get all the requirements our bodies need. We also know that for many people with busy lifestyles, this isn’t always possible so that supplements can play a very important role.

Why are vitamins and minerals so important ? They’re important, because together, they regulate and control most of the body’s important processes, including vital processes such as nerve and heart functions. They help the body to manufacture body fluids, maintain healthy teeth and bones as well as the production of healthy blood.

Vitamins and minerals also have a direct impact on weight because they help regulate brain activity, hunger, appetite, absorption of nutrients, storage of energy, and metabolic rate, also helping to convert calories into energy.

While foods are the best sources of vitamins and minerals, sometimes it is difficult to get everything your body needs into your diet. This is especially true for those who have undergone bariatric surgery. Because not everyone is able to get all of the nutrition needed from their diet, medical research has identified the specific vitamins that are essential for the body, and supplements have been developed to help.

Bariatric surgery dramatically decreases the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients mainly because the first section of the small intestine has been bypassed, (gastric bypass surgery), but also because the stomach size has been reduced leading to a reduction in hydrochloric acid and the protein IF, both needed for the proper absorption of vitamins and minerals. The amount of food you can consume/digest is also reduced.

These changes primarily lead to a decrease in the absorption of iron, vitamin B12 and calcium, and if this is not addressed by daily supplementation this will result in malnutrition, or vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can be detrimental to your health. Anaemia, osteoporosis and nerve damage are all conditions that occur with vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

It is important to know that many multivitamin supplements do not contain adequate quantities of certain critical vitamins and minerals for the post bariatric patient. International guidelines therefore emphasise the importance of taking supplements containing the right quantity of vitamins and minerals following weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy). This means supplements of iron (54-65 mg daily), copper (at least 2 mg), zinc (between 16-30 mg), folic acid, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D.

After weight-loss surgery, sufficient quantities of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin K and minerals such as magnesium are generally possible simply by following a balanced diet and by taking a daily multivitamin supplement.

Based on this knowledge, Bari-Complete has been developed, containing all the vitamins and minerals required following weight-loss surgery.

Below you can find out more about the important vitamins and minerals you need more of following surgery.

Vitamin B12

The body requires vitamin B12 (cobalamin) for the normal functioning of the nervous system and to produce red blood cell. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods such as fish, meat, eggs and dairy products.

A vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common deficiency among people who have undergone bariatric surgery. While about 5% of patients have this deficiency prior to surgery, about 13% have it once surgery is complete. The B12 deficiency tends to occur due to the inadequate digestion of vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 absorption occurs in the last section of the small intestine (ileum) but only if it is bound to intrinsic factor (IF). If part of the stomach is removed, as in the case of weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy), the production of IF is greatly reduced and therefore the ability to absorb vitamin B12.

Early symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include cracks at the corners of the mouth and bleeding gums. Severe deficiency can lead to depression, impaired vision, memory loss and even difficulty in walking.

Calcium Citrate

Calcium is a mineral found in a variety of foods, mainly dairy products but also in sardines and green vegetables. It is a key player in the maintenance and development of strong bones and healthy teeth. It also facilitates healthy muscle and nerve function.

There are two main forms of calcium supplements available: calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. It is very important that bariatric patients use nutritional supplements that their systems are able to absorb easily, especially calcium citrate, which is designed for altered digestive systems. Without calcium citrate, bariatric patients may experience a deficiency that could lead to long-term complications and compromised health such as osteoporosis.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D promotes bone and cell growth and reduces inflammation. It also plays an important role in the absorption and transport of calcium and phosphate.

Vitamin D is produced by the body when exposed to the sun and is not found naturally in many foods.

Vitamin D is especially vital to take because you will not show any symptoms of being deficient until your levels are dangerously low.

Vitamin D can be taken as a supplement and especially needs to be taken if you are not spending any time in the sun. Because a bariatric patient’s diet is very limited, it is important to make sure sufficient amounts of vitamin D are consumed.

Vitamin D3 is required to produce calcitrol, which in turn is required for the absorption of calcium. A deficiency in vitamin D3 therefore leads to a depletion of calcium in the body’s skeleton.

Iron (Fe) is essential for the production and oxygenation of blood in the body. In the body, approximately 70 % of all iron is bound to haemoglobim, with most of the remaining iron being stored in the liver. Iron is lost in the urine and sweat, and also in the shedding of the skin and epithelial cells, daily. The loss of iron is greatly increased in menstruating women.

Iron can be found in many foods such as green vegetables, liver, meat, egg yolks, wholegrain products, nuts, beans and lentils.

After weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy) the body produces less hydrochloric acid, so that the ability to absorb iron is reduced. The small intestine (duodenum and part of the jejunum), which is very important for absorption is also disconnected in gastric bypass patients further reducing the amount absorbed.

You should make sure you take 54-65 mg of iron a day after weight-loss surgery. In many cases women with heavy menstrual flows may need higher doses, so it is important to check your iron levels regularly.

Common symptoms of anaemia are paleness, fatigue and lack of energy.

Multivitamin

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, taking a daily multivitamin is similar to having an insurance policy. It will fill in the gaps where your diet is lacking in micronutrients. Multivitamins are available in tablets and powder, and should be taken according to the package directions.

This is especially important for bariatric patients because their diet is destined to be lacking. There will be a great drop in the amount of food that is consumed, leaving a larger area of nutrition uncovered by the daily diet. Taking a multivitamin will at least help to cover the bases on anything you may be missing.

Be sure you are using a vitamin appropriate for adults, not a children’s multivitamin.

What are the recommended Vitamin Daily Allowance after weight loss surgery?

Recommended Daily Allowance

Bari-Complete

Calcium Citrate

1 500 mg per day for gastric bypass & vertical sleeve patients

1 500 mg / 3 sachets

Vitamin D3

3 000 iu per day

3000 iu / 3 bags

Iron

54 – 65 mg per day

60 mg / 3 sachets

Blood tests

Regular, life-long, blood tests to check vitamin and mineral levels are essential for the continued health of all weight-loss surgery patients. Your surgeon and dietician will advise you on the intervals for these tests, and this will vary depending on the results each time.

Bone density measurements are also recommended at longer intervals. This will show any negative changes to the bone density, which will allow early intervention if necessary to prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

Archives

Archives

‘Love Your Body’ to Lose Weight

Almost a quarter of men and women in England and over a third of adults in America are obese. (In South Africa statistics on the percentage of overweight and obese people indicate that obesity and its co-morbidities are on the increase, with Cape Town leading the way!) Obesity increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease and can significantly shorten a person's life expectancy. New research published by BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity shows that improving body image can enhance the effectiveness of weight loss programs based on diet and exercise.

Researchers from the Technical University of Lisbon and Bangor University enrolled overweight and obese women on a year-long weight loss program. Half the women were given general health information about good nutrition, stress management, and the importance of looking after yourself. The other half attended 30 weekly group sessions (the intervention plan) where issues such as exercise, emotional eating, improving body image and the recognition of, and how to overcome, personal barriers to weight loss and lapses from the diet were discussed. On the behavioral intervention plan women found that the way they thought about their body improved and that concerns about body shape and size were reduced. Compared to the control group they were better able to self-regulate their eating and they lost much more weight, losing on average 7% of their starting weight compared to less than 2% for the control group. Dr Teixeira from Technical University of Lisbon, who led the research, said, "Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight. Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other peoples' opinions, and positive changes in eating behavior. From this we believe that learning to relate to your body in healthier ways is an important aspect of maintaining weight loss and should be addressed in every weight control program."

Motivation

incred Medical Finance

Also known as bariatric surgery, weight loss surgery constitutes a number of procedures all with one goal in mind being weight loss for the patient suffering from obesity. Along with this primary goal, other effects from such procedures are an improvement in cardiovascular functions and decrease in associated risk or even full recovery from diabetes. The procedures involved can either make use of specific apparatus or even altering of the digestive organs.

Rules for Successful Dieting

Follows five basic rules:

Rule One: Eat Your Target Protein Every Day

By consuming the minimum amount of protein for your body, you maintain energy, muscle mass, and keep your hunger in check.Rule Two: Take Your Supplements Every Day
The daily nutritional supplements we prescribe to you will have a positive effect on your long-term health, energy, and longevity. Rule Three: Drink Water Every Day
As your body burns calories, waste products are released through urine. Drinking at least 64 ounces of water daily helps release these waste products so they don’t build up and slow your metabolism.Rule Four: Continue an Exercise Program
Getting the right amount of exercise is an essential part of successful long-term weight control and total well-being. Rule Five: Be Consistent with Your Diet
If you stick to your daily eating prescription and keep your caloric intake consistent from day to day, you increase your chances of maintaining your optimal weightGet your Maintenance Diet Plan today contact our resident Dietitian:Judy Kotze - Dietitian Special interest: Bariatric Nutrition BSc (Dietetics) - Diploma in Hospital Dietetics M (Nutrition) Durbanville Medi-Clinic Tel: 27-21 975 2336 Fax 27-21 9752692 Mobile: 083 254 0919

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Bariatric Surgery Support (BSS) is a Cape Town based Support Group for people seeking information and Support about Weight-Loss Surgery. We deal with a host of pre and post operation issues aimed at facilitating your journey to a healthier life style.

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Key Lifestyle Changes with Weight Loss Surgery

Some of the most important lifestyle changes to adapt to after weight loss surgery include:

* Slowly increasing physical activity
* Assessing and logging in daily food intake
* Undergoing counseling to adapt to the changing body image
* Eliminating social situations that promote overeating
* Tackling any emotional issues that triggered overeating with a therapist
* Making time to prepare special foods and meals to complement a healthier lifestyle